Closure plug



mm. m WQQ H. LORANT 2,491,897

CLOSURE PLUG Filed Aug. 5]., 1945 4 She'ets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 6 000[OR/7N 7' A TTOENEYS Dec. 20, 1949' H. LORANT 2,491,397

' CLOSURE PLUG I Filed Aug. 31, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Y #060 LORANT ATTORNEYS em 2% E949 H. LORANT 9 9 CLOSURE PLUG Filed Aug.31, 1945 Sheets-Sheet 3 mvmron.

H060 Loam/v7 A 7' TOQNEXS ecu 1949 H. LORANT 2,491,397

CLOSURE PLUG Filed Aug. 31, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVEN TOR.

#060 (ORA/VT BY ATTO Y5 Patented Dec. 20, 1949 c ltll'TED STATES PATENTOFFICE CLOSURE PLUG Hugo Lorant, New York, N. Y. Application August 31,1945, Serial No. 613,724

3 Claims.

This invention relates to presses particularly adaptable for extrusionof metal into shapes, such as tubes or bars, and especially is concernedwith the closing means for the extrusion die thereof when the billet isoperated upon in the press before the extrusion operation.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple means forconverting existent presses so that billets may be placed in acontainer, compacted or operated upon, and then extruded. It isnecessary to close the end of the apertured extrusion die while thecompacting or other operation is being performed upon a billet in thecontainer. The closure member may be made less than the diameter of thebillet container so that when the billet is operated upon before actualextrusion, the end of the billet will come into contact with theportions of the die face around the closure member. Upon movement of thedie with the closure in place relatively away from the billet containerfor the purpose of removing the closure element, which is followed byreturn of the die to extruding position at the end of the billetcontainer, there will be no movement of the billet relative to thecontainer.

Another object of the invention is to extrude large tubes from solidbillets on existing presses in an economical manner. Previously therehas been a large percentage of piercing scrap emerging from the largeopening in the die. As an example, in prior processes when piercing abillet of 11 diameter a length of 20" using a mandrel of 7" diameter anda die opening of 8" for producing a tube 7" inside diameter and 8"outside diameter, the scrap would have a diameter of about 8" and alength of about representing about 26% of the billet weight. By themethod of the present invention, by closing the die aperture duringpiercing, the piercing scrap of 8" diameter can be kept to a length ofabout 1 so that the scrap represents only about 3% of the billet weight.This is a saving of 23% which is very significant considering the weightof the starting billets.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple detachable dieclosure member having a rod which may be extended through the die forattachment to a portion of the die holder. These and other objects ofthe invention will become apparent from the following description anddrawings which are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical elevation partially in section of apress embodying the in- 2 vention, the hydraulic cylinder arrangementbeing omitted for purposes of simplicity.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the die with the closureelement therefor in place and the piercing plunger extended into thebillet.

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig.2 with the exception that the die and closurehave been withdrawn to the left so that the closure button can beremoved.

Fig. 4 is similar to Figs. 2 and 3 with the exception that the die hasbeen replaced and the piercing plunger or mandrel has been operated topush out the slug from the bottom of the pierced billet.

Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4 with the exception that the extrudingplunger substantially has completed extrusion of the billet.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the die and button closure element, aslightly different die holder or support being shown.

The press partially shown in Fig. 1 may be a standard press of thehydraulic or similar variety. In this press, a billet container 10 issupported in a frame I l which may be held directly on the main bed l2of the press or carried by sub-frame or platen I3, sub-frame [3 beingmounted on main bed I2. Sub-frame l3 may have an bydraulic cylinderarrangement 15 for raising and lowering wedge l6 through rod 45. Dieholder or support I1 is reciprocably removable from guide 18 by operatorl9, which is connected by rod 20 with hydraulic piston 2| in aconventional manner. Bar or trough 22 is connected to operator IS in anyconventional manner, bar 22 serving as a guide and passing over the topof hydraulic cylinder 2| and sliding thereon as operator I9 isreciprocated. Mating plate 23 is carried by sub-frame l3. The bar ortrough 22 may take any desired shape.

When die support 11 is in position, wedge 16 will act in conjunctionwith plate 23 to firmly wedge the die support I! and die against theconical or similar face 25 at the end of the billet container l0,apertured extrusion die 26 being mounted in die support I'I in recess21.

Die support operator l9 may be connected through the stud, bolt, orequivalent means 28 to the die support. Die aperture button closuremember 29 is locatable within the aperture 38 of the extrusion die 26.Said button, as will be described in detail hereafter, has a rod 3| orother suitably shaped member extending through aperture 30 andprolongation thereof. Rod 3| is removably connected at end 32 to trough22. In order to make this connection on existent ma- .ing compacting orforging chines, it is merely necessary to bore a hole in bar 22 at 4%(Fig. 4) to receive the end 32 of rod 3|. The die and closure member areshown in Withdrawn position in dashed lines at 33 of Fig. 1 in whichposition the closure member may be removed from the apertured extrusiondie by disconnecting or lifting rod end 32 from aperture 45 and removingthe closure from the die.

One method of operating the device is to place a billet 34 into the bore35 of billet container after said billet has been brought to a suitabletemperature. Ring 36 is then placed against the end of the billet andhollow plunger 3? advanced by suitable hydraulic means (not shown)acting on head 38 (Fig. 1). Previous to this operation, die support l"!with has been moved axially into billet container closing position atthe end of the boretfs as shown in Fig. l. The billet may then becompacted by hydraulic pressure being applied to plunger 37. At thecompletion of this operation, piercing plunger M! can be-advanced intothe billet as shown in-Fig. 2, compacting plunger 37 having beendrawnaway from ring 36 so as to allow the metal of billet 3i! to move to theright in the boretii asthe piercing proceeds. The metal at the left handend of the billet in this operation completely forced around the button29 of the closure element, said button preferably being of lesstransverse diameter than the bore 35 and extending beyond the face H ofthe extrusion die 26. The metal may or may not completely orpartiallyflow around the button in the precedoperation depending uponforce applied, temperature, etc.

The die support operator in is then moved to the left afterwedge it hasbeen raised by hydraulically operated'mechanism l (Fig. 3), billetremaining ih'place in bore Z-ti'of billet container I'fi'and not beingmoved lengthwise to the bore 35. The closure button is then detachedfrom trough'tz and removedfrom the apertured die bypassing rod 3ithrough the die aperture. The die support and die are then moved to theright intoc'on'tact with the end 25 of bore as shown in'Fig. 4. Piercingplunger ib thereafter is given further movement to the left as shown inFig. 4 to'remove the slug 53 at the end of the partially piercedbilletof Fig. 2, the billet not being completely pierced when the dieand'closure are in position so as to avoid possible injury to theclosure and die. With the die and die support still in position, thehollow plunger 37 (Fig. 5) is moved-to the'left so as to extrude thebillet to the tube shape seen at M in a well-known manner.

Solid shapes also may be extruded by omitting thepiercingoperation. Inthis event, it might be desirable toprovide a cup-shaped form to fitagainst the-end of the billet so as to insure flow of metal completelyaround the button-shaped closure member and against the face of the dieduring the forging operation.

'In Fig. 6 is seen an enlarged view of the die arrangement showing moreof the details of one specific construction of the die which may bevaried to suit the particular conditions. The same reference charactersare used to represent the same parts when appropriate. Die support II isslightly different than that shown in previous figures in that there isa cut away portion at the top of recess 2? thereof. Dieholder 25 mayhave an inserted die 4'! with support Q8 and a spacer ring t9. Button 2?has a surface 58 fitting against the face A! of the die'and a portion 5|extending within the aperture 38] of the die. Rod

the die and closure in place 3| may be threadedly or similarly fastenedat 52 to the die closure. When the rod is put into engaging position,the closure element will be properly held in the die aperture andagainst the face of the die.

It is preferable that the billet 34 be operated upon in such a manner asto cause flow at the edges 53 into contact with the face 4| of the die.Then when the die is retracted for closure removal andreplaced therewill be no movement of the billet within the bore 35 caused by -the die.It has been found desirable not to move the billet in the bore containerduring this operation and only to have substantial relative movementbetween the face of the bore and the surface of the billet during theactual extrusion or similar operation. The shape of the button 29 may bemade as shown or'si'milar thereto-so'as to facilitate flow of metal totheform shown.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madefrom those specifically illustrated without departing from the spirit ofthe invention or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a metal extrusion press, an apertured die with a face, a billetcontainer with a bore therethrough, means to reciprocate said dieandbillet container relative to each other, said-die'being movable tothe end of said bore-a button closure supportable on the faceof'said'die adjacentthe die aperture, said button being of Ilessdiameter than said bore and extending intosaid bore of the billetcontainer from the fac'e'of the diewhen said die is at the end of saidbore, and means maintaining said button closure in'place'on said diewhen said die and billet container are'reciprccated relative to eachother.

2. In a metal 'eiitrusion press having an extrusion chamber, anapertured die having 'a'mouth,

moving means, a button closure member having a portion in saidextrusionchamberofgreater' diameter than the aperture of the die, said"portion being supportable by the "mouth'of said-die from longitudinalmovement'when workingfor'ce is applied thereto, and 'a'roda'dapt'edtoextend from said button through said'die aperture and adapted to beremovably connected to sai'd'rll'e moving means to holdsaid button inclosing'position in said die.

3. In a metal extrusion'press having anextrusion chamber, an apertureddiehavingamouth and face, die moving means, a button "closure memberhaving a portion in said-extrusion chamber of greater diameter than'theaperture of the die,'said portion being supp-ortableby the'mouth of saiddie and adjacent portions of the face from longitudinal movement when"workingforceis' applied'thereto, and means removably securing said die,closure member and diem'oving means in assembledrelationshipsothat-said-die and closure member can be moved toapositi'onwhere the closure member can be removed'fromthe'die opening.

HUGO LOB-ANT.

REFERENCES CITED' The following references areof record-in'the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 682,360 Keithley Sept.'10,"19012,112,085 Friden Mar.'22,"1938 2,388,558 Loewy Novi'fi', 1945

